Tent México, A Coalition of 50 Companies, Launches With Shared Commitment to Connect Refugees and Migrants to Jobs in Mexico

• Major businesses including Chedraui, Coppel, FEMSA, HSBC, Marriott International, and Walmart join forces to advance the labor market integration of refugees and migrants in Mexico
• Tent México launches as new research shows significant support from the Mexican public for companies hiring refugees

Mexico City, February 7, 2024 – The Tent Partnership for Refugees (Tent) – a global network of companies committed to the labor market integration of refugees – is announcing the launch of Tent México, a coalition of 50 major employers that are committed to hiring refugees and migrants at scale, as well as providing them with job preparation support, in Mexico. Tent México is Tent’s first national coalition to launch in Latin America, adding to existing coalitions in Canada, France, Spain and the United States.

In recent years, Mexico has welcomed more than 600,000 displaced people from countries, such as Venezuela, Haiti, and Cuba – yet many have been unable to find formal employment. At the same time, 75% of employers in Mexico say they struggle to find workers and COPARMEX, the Mexican Employers Association, reports between 1.2 and 1.6 million vacancies in Mexico’s labor market. 

Today, Tent is launching a first-of-its-kind coalition of Mexico’s largest employers to bridge this gap – helping Mexican businesses fill acute labor shortages by harnessing the talent of refugees and migrants who are eager to build new lives in Mexico. 50 inaugural companies have joined Tent México, committing to reduce the barriers that refugees and migrants face: Accenture, Accor Hotels, Adecco Group, Alsea, Amazon, Arca Continental, AT&T, Baxter, Chedraui, Chobani, Comex, Coppel, DHL Group, Dow Chemical, FEMSA, Forvia, Foundever, GEPP, Globant, Grupo Bimbo, H&M, H-E-B, Hilton, HP Inc, HSBC, Hyatt, Ingenico, ISS, Kellanova, L’Oreal, LEAR, ManpowerGroup, Marriott International, Menzies Aviation, Microsoft, Orbia, Organización Carvajal, PayPal, PepsiCo Alimentos, Pfizer, Randstad, Rappi, Sanofi, SAP, Sutherland, Teleperformance, Ternium, Vertical Knits, Walmart, and WeWork.

“At Tent, we approach refugee hiring with a business mindset – as the Mexican economy continues to grow, companies have an incredible opportunity to meet their labor needs by hiring refugees and migrants,” said Gideon Maltz, CEO of Tent. “By doing so, companies will see incredible dividends, they will gain loyal and dedicated workers, all while helping refugees and migrants become self-sufficient and contribute to their new community.”

Under a recently announced global partnership agreement with the International Organization for Migration (IOM), Tent México will work closely with IOM to help member companies access a wider pipeline of displaced talent across Mexico. “IOM is thrilled to be partnering with Tent to open more pathways for migrants to integrate into the Mexican workforce,” said Amy Pope, Director General of IOM. “This is another great step toward helping ensure migrants can gain employment through access to formal work permits.” 

A new study published today by Tent reveals that consumers in Mexico across all age groups exhibit very strong support for companies hiring refugees, with 74% of respondents more likely to buy from companies taking this action. Notably, this percentage is higher than any of the other eight markets where Tent has conducted similar research, including the United States, Spain, and Germany, underscoring Mexican consumers’ strong support for companies helping refugees.* Only 7% of respondents in Mexico reported being less likely to buy from companies hiring refugees.

“The 50 companies launching Tent México today are forging a pathway and showing that the future of business in Mexico is an increasingly diverse and inclusive one – one that refugees and migrants should not be left out of,” said Gerardo Ancira, Director for Mexico at Tent. “We look forward to working with these businesses to hire refugees and migrants at scale as well as help them better access employment opportunities across the country, and urge even more companies to recognize they can make the biggest and most sustainable impact by integrating refugees and migrants into their workforce.”

Tent México will provide a range of free services to companies that will support their efforts to connect refugees and migrants, of all backgrounds, to work. Tent México will also harness the experience of Tent’s global business network of over 350 member companies, distilling and tailoring best practices and lessons learned across a dozen countries to the Mexican labor market, ensuring that companies are set up to efficiently and effectively implement their refugee hiring programs. 

“We are thrilled to see Tent México launch today, and honored to be a part of this vital movement to connect refugees and migrants to work,” said José Antonio Fernández, Chairman of the Board of FEMSA. “At FEMSA we have hired thousands of refugees and migrants over the years, and have seen firsthand the tremendous impact they have made on our company, our employees, and our community. We look forward to building upon this success and deepening our work with Tent to welcome even more refugees and migrants into the FEMSA workforce.”

* See consumer survey data for the U.S. and Europe

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About the Tent Partnership for Refugees
With more and more refugees displaced around the world, businesses have a critical role to play in helping refugees integrate economically in their new communities. Tent was launched in 2016 by Hamdi Ulukaya, the CEO and founder of Chobani – a multibillion dollar food company in the U.S. – to mobilize global businesses to fill this gap. Today, Tent is a network of over 350 major companies committed to helping hundreds of thousands of refugees access local labor markets by helping them become job-ready and connecting them to work. Find out more at www.tent.org.